


Water Becomes Ice (Gruvia Week 2018)

by shipambrosia_bree



Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Angst, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Gruvia - Freeform, Gruvia Week, Gruvia Week 2018, Irreplaceable, Journey, Misunderstanding, Nightmares, Promise, all seven days, photograph, we run the whole show here, you're mine
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-08
Updated: 2018-04-08
Packaged: 2019-04-20 06:35:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 13,496
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14255082
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shipambrosia_bree/pseuds/shipambrosia_bree
Summary: All of my prompts for each day of Gruvia Week 2018! All together for your viewing pleasure!





	1. Day 1 - Promise: "Won't Let Go"

**Author's Note:**

> All of these were posted originally on my tumblr, @ship-ambrosia. I'm super proud! Some of these are short, some of these are long... but I hope you enjoy!

It felt like time had put a curse on him. No matter how thick the ice formed around his heart, no matter how many walls he put up to keep people out and to drive pain away, all she did was keep knocking them down. All his shields were weak to her, no matter how much he tried to drive her away. And because the shields were down, he had no choice but to fight once more to protect her. She had gotten under his skin in much the same manner as the few before her, but this feeling was different. A different kind of love that made him wish she wasn’t standing with her back against his, fighting the enemy, but that she were somewhere safe, far from the battlefield where she could wait for him to return. The moment that thought came to pass in his mind, he realized how selfish it was. Juvia would never just sit by; he didn’t think a single member of Fairy Tail would ever just sit by when the very essence of their guild was threatened. Even with no clear end to the carnage, no light at the end of the tunnel, no obvious possible condition for their victory, the small chance at surviving and living on another day had set his soul ablaze. He wouldn’t back down, especially with her there beside him.

Should he just accept what pain fate had clearly given him, what it would always give him? He could easily give up, but what kind of man would that make him? No, he could not accept this anymore. Too many times, this curse set upon him had taken away people he loved. He wanted, no he needed, to see the future that he read in her eyes come to fruition. Gray refused to lose it. It wasn’t an easy future, but the things he saw were worth the fight to protect Juvia, even if he wasn’t around for that future. Now that he had found her, he was not going to let her go.

He looked to his opponents in this dangerous game, the ones who set the curse upon him and brought him unending pain. Bring it on, because it wasn’t anything new. Gray had gone his whole life fighting, he’d grown up in the battles along the way. He would destroy all the darkness surrounding them. He was still fighting, a fire in his chest still burning with determination. And with the new magic his father had gifted him, he fought with that determination as though it was his only purpose. The only one who would be able to end this nightmare, were those who had seen it all before, who had lived it all before. Gray had certainly done both.

He wasn’t scared of his past in any degree. It was a dark scar that time had placed on him, but he no longer feared it. Even though it was coming back to try and haunt him, to try and break him, he was going to stand firm and take it head on. If not for Juvia, then for his own pride.

Though everyone he loved seemed doomed to disappear at the hands of fate, Gray fought on. He would not let the same thing befall Juvia, a silent promise drifting in the air between them. Even if he was only holding on to her by a single finger, there was no doubt in his mind that he wouldn’t let go. Gray was sick of fighting and losing. This time he would fight destiny with his bare hands if he had to. He would never let Juvia’s thread be cut here.

She smelled faintly of the sea. He had always thought scents were Natsu’s thing, but soon after meeting Juvia he realized how much hers could affect him. Not only was it a comforting, calming fragrance, but it played back so many memories for Gray. Like a song, a siren’s sweet voice drifting above the ocean waves of all the moments he had spent with the blue-haired beauty. And it was because of that, any time she cried out for him he wouldn’t let go. A promise, that he would do anything to blast away any pain she suffered. Not only for Juvia, or for himself, but for all the people he had lost before her so that they might see Gray was finally at peace with himself. No matter how long it took, he was resolved to keep his promises. He would never let go of her.

 

~

 

Gray opened his eyes. He hadn’t realized he had closed them when Invel casted an unknown spell at him. He had thrown up an ice shield to deflect it, because Juvia had been standing right behind him. Even though she was strong herself, possibly at one point even stronger than him, this was his fight and he’d be damned if he let her get hurt during it.

A bitter coldness wrapped around his neck. Gray preferred the cold, but even this feeling was sinister. It was not his own. Lowering his ice shield, he found that a chain made of ice hooked around him was the source of this unfamiliar cold. He felt the chain jerk; it was attached to something behind him. With a growing feeling of dread as he turned, one thought was prevalent in his mind:  _Juvia had been standing right behind him_.

“Gr-Gray?”

His eyes widened in horror. He wasn’t sure, as he turned to face Invel once more with a death glare on his face, what this spell would do to her; what it would do to either of them, but he was most concerned about her because of his promises. He felt it, deep in his core, that he had broken all his promises to her by allowing this to happen. His resolve to fight fate, to stand and defy the curse time had placed on him; it was as if the two had conspired, had set the Winter General upon him, and were now waiting for his move in their dangerous game.

_You thought just because you loved her you could fight the game? You thought your promises were enough to keep her safe? Well Gray Fullbuster, let’s see how well you play with your challenge when it’s her life on the line._


	2. Day 2 - Misunderstandings: "Romantic"

It had taken every ounce of courage Gray had to tell Juvia how he felt. That night, at the party, when he had lost his cool air and chickened out from saying the words he really meant.  _I love you, Juvia_  was what he should have said. What came out, he had assumed, would still have gotten his feelings across. So imagine his shock when he finally asked her out on a date a few weeks after things had somewhat returned to normal, and Juvia turned him down.

“Thank you for the offer, my darling, but that is really unnecessary. Just hearing you ask means so much to me, though!”

Gray was dumbfounded. He was certain he must have stood there like a gawking idiot for much longer than it felt, because Natsu approached him and shook his shoulder. “Gray?”

“I… is this real? Did Juvia really just walk away from me after I asked her out on a date?”

Natsu blinked at him in confusion, making it very clear he had not been paying attention when Gray and Juvia had been talking. Figures. “I don’t know… is that what just happened?”

“You’re actually no help, ash-for-brains.”

“What was that? You wanna go, popsicle-dick?” The fire dragon slayer yelled back almost immediately.

“No, I wanna find out why the hell the girl who’s been in love with me since the moment we met just told me ‘a date won’t be necessary, my love’.” He shoved Natsu aside and stalked over to where Juvia now sat with Lucy and Erza.

 

A storm of confusion now swirled around in Juvia’s mind while she sat with her head in her hands. She was unsure of what Lucy and Erza had been talking about for the last few minutes, focused more on her own thoughts. Why did her beloved Gray have to tease her so? A melancholic sigh released itself from past her lips.

She was fairly certain at this point that he would never return her feelings, and Juvia had accepted that. She knew he cared about her, and that was enough for her. No matter what, she had resolved to do anything for Gray. But she never wanted him to feel as though he owed her his love, which was something she had began to suspect. If he were to love her, she only wanted it to be of his own volition.

A shadow fell over Juvia, and she looked up from where her gaze was focused on the table to find the man she had fallen in love with standing over her. Gray didn’t look angry, but she could see something in his features that showed he was upset with her. She rose her eyes to meet his face.

“Yes my darling?” She asked.

“What do you mean a date is unnecessary?”

Juvia frowned. “You don’t have to feel obliged to take me on one. It’s all right.”

“Obliged?!” He guffawed, a funny expression on his normally cool and indifferent face as his eyes basically popped out of his head. “What made you think I feel obliged to take you on a date?”

“After we almost died and I gave you my blood to save you… you’ve been acting rather odd. But I appreciate your concern for my wellbeing very much. I promise to take much better care of myself, so that you may use my body in a fight however you see fit.”

“In a fight?” He echoed. “What are you talking about?”

“That night at the party, when you dragged me away… you said my body should belong to you. I was honored that you trust me so much, my love!” Her dreamy expression fell. “Is that not what you meant?”

There was a pregnant pause in the air, a silence broken only by the whispers between Lucy and Erza as they soaked in this news. Gray had really said that to Juvia? And the poor girl hadn’t realized what he truly meant?

Gray chuckled sheepishly in response, only adding to her confusion more. “Well I guess it was my fault for not being direct enough. You misinterpreted my words. I never thought you’d take something that was actually meant to be romantic and twist it the opposite way.”

She opened her mouth to ask what then, had he meant, if she was wrong. Her mind was moving a thousand miles a minute as she took in his words.  _Something that was actually meant to be romantic._  But she didn’t even get the chance.

When the first brush of his cold fingertips reached her waist, Juvia felt her entire being heat up with embarrassment. She suddenly became hyper-aware of the feeling of turning into puddles, and mentally forced herself to stay together. Unable to move as though Gray had frozen her to the spot, she stared up at him with her round blue eyes, almost unconsciously holding her breath.

“When I said that your body should belong to me…” there was laughter in his voice, as if he couldn’t believe this situation was even happening. She pouted in response which only made his grin appear even more amused. “You know I meant all of you, right? That meant all of your love for me, I want it. I guess I just sort of couldn’t express myself correctly then, I was pretty overwhelmed.”

Instead of continuing, like Juvia expected, Gray caught her off guard when he leaned down and kissed her. It was unexpected, but it was everything she had ever dreamed of. She heard herself, as if experiencing it out of her body, squeak when Gray clamored hungrily to deepen the kiss. He held her waist tightly now, and Juvia gripped his arms to steady herself. When they finally broke apart, she was very afraid of slipping to the ground and fainting.

“Will you please go on a date with me now?” He asked once more, smirking at the affectionate glaze that cast over her eyes. She could almost sense his confident ego boost coming off him in waves.

Concerned she wouldn’t be able to form coherent words, Juvia nodded slowly. Gray leaned forward and kissed her again.

“I love you, Juvia,” he whispered, and a chill ran down her spine. “That’s what I should have said that night.”

_She wasn’t sure where she went right. But all that mattered was that it was his words, and his lips that kissed her. Everything else, she was very sure, would simply fall into place._


	3. Day 3 - Journey: "Foxglove"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This prompt is something I wrote for a separate fanfiction that I was thinking of writing, so any comments you might have are greatly appreciated! Are you curious? Would you like to see a full story?

 "Would you stop moping around, ice princess? You’re gonna give us all a damn cold!“  
  "Natsu, don’t be mean! That’s totally unnecessary!”  
  “I’ll do whatever I want, especially if he isn’t going to fight back! Hehe.”  
  “Salamander, you know I don’t like the iceman as much as I don’t like you, but even I’m starting to get pissed off for him.”  
  “Gajeel, please don’t make this worse.”  
  “If you want to go, I’m ready to go!”  
  “I’m always ready to go, you pink-haired loser!”  
  “Call me that again to my face, metal freak!”  
  “I just did!”  
  Gray glanced up just in time to watch the two of them, mid-brawl, escape out the front doors of the guild.  
  Across the table from him, Levy let out a sigh. “I’ll go make sure they don’t destroy anything. Be back in a second, Lu.”  
  Lucy nodded, turning back from her friend to face him. Mentally, Gray braced himself. He knew Lucy at the very least was concerned, but he didn’t exactly like to have all his feelings out in the open for others to scrutinize.  
  “She’ll be back, Gray.”  
  He looked up to Lucy’s eyes, her smile and her gaze twinkling with hope. He wasn’t sure what he had been expecting her to say, but that wasn’t it. And honestly, it still hurt. Anything that anyone said about Juvia would hurt, unless they were telling him where he could find her.  
  “Why did she only tell Gramps where she was going?” He croaked. “Why wouldn’t she let me come with her?”  
  Lucy pursed her lips. “Juvia is strong, Gray. She can handle herself. You might want to protect her, but you picked a girl who knows how to be independent. She wants to figure out what happened to her family on her own. You have to respect that.”  
  “What if she finds out something terrible happened to them? Or that they abandoned her? Wouldn’t she want me- or at least someone else to be there to comfort her?”  
  He wasn’t telling Lucy the whole truth. Gray had a bad feeling. He couldn’t give a reason or proof, but he felt that Juvia was being tricked. By who, or why, he didn’t have a clue. But it had him on edge, and that was why he was trying to get Master Makarov to tell him where Juvia had gone.  
  “I can’t tell you that I understand exactly what she’s thinking,” Lucy sighed. She glanced up when she heard Natsu and Gajeel yelling from outside the guild hall. She got to her feet. “I’m gonna go help Levy. But have faith in Juvia, Gray. She’ll be home soon enough.”  
  As Lucy walked away to deal with the two dragon slayers, his thoughts drifted dark again. Juvia was a powerful wizard. She could have enemies from her Phantom Lord days. He had a lot of enemies.  _Fairy Tail_  had a lot of enemies. There were so many reasons that someone might want to hurt her. But to convince her through a letter that they had information about her parents? It either had to be real, or someone very sophisticated in their plan to catch her.

 

~

 

  Juvia stared out the window of the train as it left the station of a small mountain town. Though deep within her heart she was rather lonely on this journey thus far, there was certainly something to be said about riding the train in peace and quiet, without the usual dragon slayer dry heaving on the floor of the car. She usually took jobs that included Gajeel, and occasionally she would join Team Natsu, so she was used to dealing with their motion sickness. But being by herself gave her lots of time to think. To reflect on her life in Fairy Tail as the train rattled along to its final destination, and Juvia’s home.  
  She had not been to Foxglove in over ten years, having only her earliest memories to remind her of her childhood in the orphanage before her mother’s estranged brother discovered his niece was still alive and taken her in. This life of hers before she had joined Phantom Lord was not filled with happy memories. It was in the orphanage that she became alienated from the other children because her rain curse began. That was also where her habit of creating teru-teru bozu dolls came from, the nuns who ran the orphanage having taught her how to make them to drive the rain away. Her uncle had been a mean and nasty man who hated the rain and treated Juvia like dirt. He didn’t know anything about her parents, either, never informed of how they died and never mentioning a thing about them; she only knew her mother’s name. Juvia ran away from him when she was sixteen. Not long after that would she come across Phantom Lord, and Jose, seeing the vast magical potential in the fledgling water mage, offered her a position within his guild.  
  Juvia sighed. It wasn’t as if her life in Phantom Lord was as bad as her life before it, but it certainly wasn’t happy compared to how she felt now. Phantom Lord was a cold and lonely guild, with relationships built on strength and the guild itself fixated on remaining the most powerful in Fiore. Still, she had made friends there, including Gajeel, so she couldn’t say she was never happy; but it was clear to her that Jose was only interested in her for her power. Behind Aria, she had been the second strongest member of the Element Four.  
  Her life had changed so much, starting the moment the rain parted and she saw the sun for the first time since she was a little girl. Of course, thinking of that event in time only brought her thoughts to the one who had driven the clouds away; her beloved Gray. Relationship being considered or not, it was hard to argue that anyone else had a more significant impact on her as a person than him. She counted her blessings every day that he was in her life, as she had seen what losing him felt like once and Juvia never wanted to feel that pain ever again. Despite Gray forcing her to promise to never do something like what she did during his fight with Invel again, there was not a bone in her body that wouldn’t make that sacrifice if he was in danger and it was their only option. She truly had resolved to heed her own words and live for love however, to live for him, as he had done the same for her. Oh how she missed him.  
  There were not many trains that made the journey up the mountain to rainy, secluded Foxglove, and she was grateful that this one did. Juvia leaned against the window in an attempt to get the imaginary Gray sitting in the seat across from her out of her mind, and mentally re-read the letter she had received.  _We have some records here in your name that have never been unsealed. If you would like, you should come to Foxglove and collect them.  We would love to see your sweet face one last time, and the beautiful woman you’ve grown into!_  
  The instant Juvia had opened the letter, she knew what she had to do and that she had to do it by herself. When Gray begged her to take him along, concerned for her wellbeing, her heart had fluttered so rapidly she thought it might burst from her chest; but truthfully, Juvia didn’t know what she might discover about her parents, and that was why she had refused any assistance and only told Master Makarov where exactly she was going. She didn’t want anyone following her, though she couldn’t remember if she had mentioned Foxglove to Gajeel or not. Juvia giggled a bit at the thought; for someone who feigned disinterest in nearly everything, that big oaf had a really good memory. He was actually just a big softie, but with metal screws.  
  Juvia didn’t even notice she had fallen asleep until the train’s horn went off as it pulled into Foxglove Station. She blinked sleep out of her eyes and collected her small bag of things before quickly making her way off the train. In the pit of her stomach, she could already feel the nerves gathering at the thought of what was going to transpire. Juvia had booked a room at the town’s inn, planning to pick up the records immediately from the orphanage and then retire to her suite to mull them over. She had enough money set aside for about a week’s stay, so if she needed to be alone and mull over any particularly upsetting information that she might learn. Part of her was angry at herself for not taking anyone along, that she might crave company in the aftermath that learning about her family and her past might leave. But she took a deep breath and reminded herself that this was the correct action - to go alone.  
  Whispers of recognition fled past her as she made her way to the orphanage in the center of the purple-hued town, but not because of her origins there. She felt herself swell with pride as the people around her buzzed excitedly of her more recent merits.  _Isn’t that the famous wizard Juvia, of Fairy Tail? The one who uses water magic and declared her love for her guildmate Gray to everyone at the first Grand Magic Games that Fairy Tail won? She’s amazing! She was part of the last day’s group that year! I heard she’s incredibly kind and resourceful as well! She’s even more beautiful in person than in the magazines! Well, what else do you expect of Fairy Tail?_  
  Juvia was filled with a happy warmth as she climbed the steps to the orphanage door and reached up to knock.  _Juvia of Fairy Tail_. That certainly was a title she liked much more than her previous Phantom Lord one. Her life in Fairy Tail was everything to her; it had all her friends, and especially Gray, and so many happy memories waiting for her to return. She would never let anything take her away from that. Her memories would be what comforted her if she found sadness in the records.  
  When the double doors opened, she immediately recognized the nun who answered. Her smiling face brightened upon recognition of the little Juvia that had once been growing up in the building she stood before now. Juvia was hastily invited in, and brought through the courtyard past smiling children who also recognized her. The courtyard was not a happy place for Juvia, as it reminded her of how no one ever got to play outside because of the rain she brought. She politely asked to continue through.  
  “I see the rain has stopped,” her guide said cheerfully.  
  “Yes it has, thanks to a wonderful man in my life.”  
  “Oh well, isn’t that sweet? You deserve someone who cares for you so. What can we thank for your visit, Miss Lockser?” The nun asked sweetly as she poured Juvia a cup of tea.  
  She took the cup gratefully and was about to explain when she paused. They had sent the letter, hadn’t they? So they knew she would travel to Foxglove, they would be expecting her visit.  
  “I received a letter, that said you found unsealed records in my name,” Juvia spoke with a suspicious edge to her voice. “So I was hoping I could come to collect them.”  
  The nun blinked at her. “Miss Lockser… there were never records of your past here. You were brought here by strangers who found you wandering on your own; we were never even sure if you were from Fiore. That’s why it took so long for your uncle to be approved as caregiver. We had nothing to compare to. The only thing we took was that he knew your name, honestly.”  
  Juvia felt a sinking feeling in her chest, all previous happiness gone. Suddenly she wished she had taken Gray up on his offer to come with her. That he might hold her while she cried the tears that threatened her now. This was even worse news than any information that she could have learned.  
  “I understand. Perhaps there was a mix up and I received the letter meant for someone else.”  
  “I’m so very sorry. If you’d like, you can stay in town for a few days and I can let you check anyway,” the nun answered. “Maybe you can spend some with the children here as well. They’d love you, I’m sure.”  
  Juvia wiped her eyes. There was no hiding the tears now as they fell. She insisted she was fine, however, and politely chatted with the nun for a bit before excusing herself so that she might check into the inn she had reserved for herself. On her way down the steps of the orphanage, she pulled out the small communication lacrima that Master Makarov had insisted she bring with her; now she was grateful for it, because she was lonely and a bit suspicious. She decided to call the guild hall itself and ask whoever answered if she could talk to Gray. Juvia resolved to tell him she was in Foxglove, because she desperately wanted him here with her now.  
  Just as the lacrima connected to the one back at Fairy Tail, Juvia felt a sudden chill rush through her body. Goosebumps bristled her skin, and she felt her pace quicken. She looked around wildly, but no one around her seemed as panicked.  
  “Hey, sweetheart!” Someone called to her. She kept her head down, focused on the lacrima in her hands.  
  “Beauty with the blue hair, I’m talking to you!” The voice seemed to be following her.  
  “Juvia Lockser!”  
  The sound of her name reverberated through her ears. They only knew her name… because she was a well-known member of Fairy Tail…  
  “ _Ame Onna_!”  
  She stopped dead in her tracks. Hearing her Phantom Lord name brought up emotions in her that she had kept down for so long. It had been one thing for the nun at the orphanage to mention the rain surrounding her was gone - because that had reminded her of the man who changed her life, and who loved her. But to call her that accursed name, was to remind her of a life she never wanted to go back to.  _I am not the Rain Woman_!  
  With her Water Body beginning to boil as her anger rose, in preparation for the use of her Sierra spell, Juvia turned around to angrily face the man calling to her. “ _You better have a good reason to call me_ -”  
  Juvia stopped speaking immediately, cutting herself off when she recognized the man who stood before her. “ _You_ -”  
  And she was cut off again, but this time by the man himself. Because he had shouted “Raging Thunder!” and caught Juvia off guard by a powerful lightning spell that electrocuted her Water Body - more painful than when she had struck Laxus’s Thunder Palace to save Cana - and eliciting a bloodcurdling scream from her mouth. One that a certain Mirajane Strauss heard before Juvia dropped and shattered the lacrima that had been in her hands.  
  Juvia dropped to the ground when the spell stopped, all of her strength sapped from her immediately. As she lay barely holding on to consciousness, she wondered vaguely if she didn’t have such a strong magic core, whether or not that attack would have killed her.  
  The man stepped forward and lifted Juvia’s limp body from the ground, bringing her closer to his face and allowing her to indeed confirm that he was the man she recognized, a man from her past that she had not seen in years. Another set of feet were suddenly heard coming up to her, and Juvia wondered for a split second if someone was coming to her rescue. When the newcomer spoke however, a horrified expression appeared on Juvia’s face. Her worst nightmare come to life.  
  “I knew one day you would return to me, Juvia Lockser. My  _Ame Onna_.”

 

~

 

  Mirajane wasted no time in informing Master Makarov what she had just witnessed, and he in turn wasted no time in rushing across the guild hall to where Team Natsu sat, along with Gajeel and Levy. He went right to Gray’s side, knowing he was the one who most deserved to know.  
  “I fear that Gray’s hunch was correct,” he told the table, causing the young man to sit up. “His instinct to travel with Juvia was correct, but both Juvia and I were fooled. One of our own is in grave danger.”  
  “What’s happened to her?” Erza asked sharply, when Gray only clenched his fist in response.  
  “We aren’t actually sure,” Mira admitted. “She called on a lacrima, and when I picked up I saw her being electrocuted and all I heard was her scream. I think she dropped the lacrima because only a moment later the line went dead.”  
  “Oh no!” Lucy gasped, covering her mouth with her hands in shock.  
  “Where is she?” Gray asked coldly, getting to his feet. “Tell me where she went.”  
  “I’d bet she went to Foxglove,” Gajeel crossed his arms and looked to their guild master. “Didn’t she?”  
  “You knew?!” Gray turned his fury to the iron dragon slayer when the master nodded. “You knew and you didn’t tell me?”  
  “If Juvia turned away your offer to come with her, it was clear to me she wanted to go alone. I wanted to respect her wishes,” Gajeel turned his face away from him. “Foxglove is a small mountain village in the north, and Juvia grew up for a couple years in the orphanage there. Only one train heads up there. If we’re gonna go after her, we better head out soon.”  
  “Of course we’re going after her,” he gritted his teeth. “I won’t let anything else happen to her.”  
  Gray left the table and headed for the door without waiting for anyone else to follow. Everyone still present at the table looked between each other. An air of fear for the safety of their friend hung heavy between them until Gajeel stood up.  
  “C'mon Lily,” he called to his Exceed. “Stripper ain’t the only one concerned about Juvia. We’re going too.”  
  At his side, Levy also got to her feet. “I’d better go too, to make sure things don’t get too heated between the two of them.”  
  “We’ll stay here at the guild just in case something else comes up,” Erza offered her. “Perhaps Lucy and I can try and figure out who would attack Juvia?”  
  The celestial wizard nodded. “Be safe, Levy. And bring Juvia back, please.”  
  Levy bit her lip. “We will. We have to… for her sake and Gray’s.”


	4. Day 4 - Photograph: "Caspian and Syrene"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This prompt is a possible ending to the fanfiction mentioned in Day 3 (minus any spoilers in case I do end up writing that one). It also contains a backstory for Juvia that I made up, so if you're not into that I totally understand.

Their trek up the small mountain path was a quiet one, all the snow seeming to blanket as far as their eyes could see and muffling any sound but the crunch of their footsteps. He held tightly to her slender hand, as if he were afraid that letting go would cause her to tumble backwards and sink into the snow out of sight. Gray was at home in the cold, but Juvia was not and he had to make sure she stayed warm.

She had no idea where he was taking her, and that made him grin a little. Though they were far north, where both Ur’s cottage and his parent’s graves were, but Gray had taken her to both previously and they were near neither landmark now. Gray looked back toward Juvia, who was taking in the scenery with curious eyes. After everything she had endured in Foxglove, his beautiful water siren deserved this. Because of the coat she was wearing, he couldn’t see any of her bandages; but he knew they were there, he had spent days by her beside as she recovered from her injuries. He thanked Levy a hundred times both before and mentally now for making this possible; both figuring out the names of the people he had been searching for and locating where he could take Juvia to find them.

As they climbed over and paused at the top of a forested hill, the desolate ruins of a village came into view. The rubble of buildings long left destroyed were covered in snow, and the pieces were worn by the years. It was clear this destruction had stood for a very long time. He saw Juvia’s expression fall solemn at the sight. She had been to his hometown, had seen the carnage and destruction that the demon Deliora had once caused. She knew the pain he had gone through, but she didn’t know why he had taken her to this unknown ruined town.

Gray indicated a group of stones close to the edge of the village arranged in neat rows. His other arm was wrapped around Juvia’s back as he felt her breath growing more labored. He knew she needed to go back and rest, but they were almost there and he had so much to show her, that he just needed Juvia to keep her strength up for a few more minutes.

“Almost there,” he mumbled. From far away, Gray spotted the two headstones that he had been looking for. With a slight grin, he guided Juvia over to them.

When she realized what he was showing her, Juvia immediately began to tear up. Her grip on his coat grew tighter as she pushed her head against him. “Gr-Gray…”

“Juvia,” he lifted her face to look at his, smiling down at her. Then he indicated the headstones in front of him with a tilt of his head. “Meet Caspian and Syrene Lockser.”

The sunlight reflected off the light snowfall coming down, turning the scene around her parents’ headstones into a heavenly glitter of diamond dust. It was as if the two sensed their daughter’s presence nearby, and were calling for her. Juvia turned and buried her face into Gray’s shoulder and continued to cry. He rubbed her back soothingly - comforting Juvia was something he had arguably gotten much better at doing since they had started dating - before pulling a book from the bag he was carrying over his shoulder and held it out for to see.

“Because you knew your mother’s name, I had Levy help me find her,” he explained softly. “That led us to Caspian Lockser. He was a powerful water mage living in the north, who had married her. It was this village, where they had you.”

Juvia brought her watery eyes down to look at the book, and noticed it was a census genealogy record. Before opening it however, Gray continued.

“Long before Deliora destroyed my village, killing my mother,” Gray took a deep breath and sighed. “His rampage started here, to the west.”

Deliora, the Etherious bringer of destruction, had taken everything from Gray. He had taken from other people he knew too, people he cared about like Lyon. But even years before it had any impact on them, the demon had first destroyed, among others, the village that he and Juvia stood at now. Caspian and Syrene Lockser lived in the village with their young daughter when Deliora arrived. Caspian, the strongest wizard in the area, decided to protect the village and stood before the beast. Either unaware of the demon’s true strength or knowing he would not survive doing so, he fought Deliora and perished. His wife Syrene was found amongst the dead not long after the demon moved on, but no one had ever truly known what happened to their daughter.

“A survivor of the village wrote that in the records we found,” Gray stared down deep into her dark eyes. He was sure this was the strongest gaze he had ever shared with her, not letting go for fear that it would break her.

“We share a past, Juvia. We both survived Deliora and the destruction of our home, and now we’re here together,” He spoke with resolve and heart that sort of surprised her. Usually talking about Deliora was difficult on him. “It’s not happy, but to think that all along…” he shook his head, trailing off. “I am here for you. It was painful living with the memories for all these years, but time has lessened the sting. You’re just now learning about what happened. I’m sorry. But I saw Deliora die with my own eyes, so you’ll never have to live with the thought of the demon still out there. Ur… My master Ur saved you too.”

“Yes,” she finally spoke up. “To hear about them, and to hear about what my father did brings me sadness. But I do have you here with me. So I feel… happy as strange as it might seem, to finally know what happened to them, to finally understand where I’m from… and to finally know my father’s name too.” She looked up and beamed softly at him. “I’m grateful to Ur as well. I’m grateful for you, Gray. You did all of this for my sake. Thank you, my love. This means the world to me.”

“I have one more thing to show you,” he admitted, blushing slightly at her intense gratitude.

Juvia watched with interest as he opened the book in his hands to a spot where he’d placed a bookmark. Her gaze traveled down the page, and she let out a surprised gasp. Printed in the center between the words of the page was a photograph of a couple cradling a little girl who couldn’t be older than 2 years old.

She felt herself start to tear up again, just moments after she had finally stopped crying the tears that came from what she had learned before. Juvia reached out a tentative hand to brush along the picture. “Is that…?”

The man had shoulder-length dark blue hair and dark eyes, with a mysterious aura about him that was captured even by the cheery family photograph. He wore a long cloak that reminded her of Gildarts Clive, and the way he stood was reminiscent of Fairy Tail’s strongest wizard as well. His wife beside him had blonde hair that fell in soft curls down her back and over her shoulders, and elegantly wide, beautiful blue eyes paired with a familiar shape to both her nose and full lips. She wore a modest, long coat dress. And Juvia already knew who the baby girl held in the woman’s arms was. So she had gotten her azure hair and her magic from her father.

“Yeah,” Amusement glinted in Gray’s voice. “That’s your parents with you.”

He gently placed the book into Juvia’s hands as she stared in awe at the picture. Gray then put his arms around her, pulling her closer against him while they stood for just a little bit longer in front of where her parents were buried. In response, she leaned her head back against his chest. As he watched her with affectionate expression worn on his face, Gray surprised himself with his own sudden thoughts of marriage and having a family of their own with Juvia.

Gray smirked to himself. Yeah, there was no doubt in his mind that it would one day become real.


	5. Day 5 - Irreplaceable: "Unison Raid"

The first time she performed a Unison Raid with the boy who took away her rain, it had been exhilarating. The second time was breathtaking. The third time, intense. The fourth time, it was instinct. After that, they became second nature.

It was truly the first time that anyone had ever recognized her power and wanted to work with it, not use it to conquer. It had been the first time that her beloved Gray had truly reached out to her first and made her feel part of Fairy Tail, something she had desperately needed after everything that had been said about her during Laxus’s attempt to seize leadership of the guild. How he told her the moment that they had stopped fighting after first meeting, that he had a hunch their magic would be compatible before explaining his idea. She had never seen such a beautiful display of her own magic. Combined with Gray’s power, they formed an earth-shatteringly strong storm when Juvia took control of the water in Magnolia’s canals, causing geysers that Gray froze to create ice spears raining down from above. He hadn’t loved her like she loved him then, but it still had been the most wonderful moment of her life up to that point. She truly felt like she belonged.

The second time wasn’t until years later, since the two of them had both been stuck on Tenrou Island and lost seven years of a life they’d never get back while the world continued on without them. But it was in their attempt to reclaim Fairy Tail’s name that this happened, on the final day of the Grand Magic Games while they fought Lyon and Chelia. While Juvia wasn’t outmatched by the young girl with God Slayer magic, what made her truly lose heart was that any damage she did inflict on Chelia was simply done away with the girl’s ability to heal herself. Yet in that moment of despair Gray placed a hand to her shoulder, and she knew immediately what he was planning. And she took that hand, felt his rough fingers lace with hers as the two of them yelled at the top of their lungs with the release of an enormous shockwave of magical energy. A watery twister sprung forth this time, freezing into a harsh combination of the pair’s most powerful spells. Lyon and Chelia didn’t stand a chance once Gray took her hand.

Not even a day later did the third time arrive. With a heart full of fear as she stared down the fiery beast before her, even Gray’s reassurance did not calm her. The situation was dire, no matter the resolve that the fairies, tigers, serpents, pegasi, mermaids, and beasts had come to. Though the world had been saved from ten thousand dragons, even seven seemed to push them all to their limits. And when Gray reached for her hand, all she could hear was the pounding of her blood in her ears. But she couldn’t let her beloved down, would never let him down. So she attacked with their combined power again, believing that the dragon made of flames before her would somehow be weak to her water, enhanced by the combined ice. It wasn’t. Even when that dragon joined their side due to fondness for Natsu, Juvia was still afraid of the six other dragons that roamed the sky and hurt her friends. She was scared when the hatchlings began to cause chaos everywhere she looked, and how she had fought tooth and nail alongside him and it still had not been enough. Even though they survived the day, it was one of, if not  _the_ , worst moments of her life.

They had begun to fall into that comfortable rhythm by the fourth Unison Raid. Those moments where he would just grab her hand in the middle of a fight and Juvia immediately knew what he wanted her to do. They had a problem, and they had to destroy it; rather literally. So of course they did it together. And she remembered thinking as they destroyed the cavern walls, that it was the most beautiful destruction she had ever seen with her eyes. After that, their combined magic became a well-known pair. And like Juvia had always hoped, it soon became a symbol of their relationship becoming something more than it had been.

Every moment, every precious memory she had of him from the first time he saved her life when she should have otherwise plummeted over the side of the Phantom Lord guild hall and promptly took away the rain for the first time in her life, to the way he still accepted her as a member of Fairy Tail even though only weeks before she had fought to destroy the very guild, to his encouragement and support as their relationship slowly bloomed into more, into what she had dreamed of.

She remembered so vividly the moment that he had called her his, the first kiss they shared and how Gray had chuckled in surprise at how shy she had been when he expected her to suffocate him with her mouth. All her childish fantasies were such jokes to her now, as she could hardly stand the teasing of the other women in the guild who giggled about the two of them getting married and asking for little Fullbuster babies without getting embarrassed (despite both being something she truly, truly wanted some day).

And her memories included those more heavy events as well, such as the moment of Gray’s death a heartbeat before time would be rewound. Fondly, how Silver Fullbuster made her promise to look after and take care of his son, and then how Gray had thanked her for doing what he was unable to bring himself to do while he fought his father and she fought the demon Keith. She would never forget the pain she had felt when he left her suddenly after they’d lived together for so long and she thought he had actually joined the Avatar cult. What was the worst was witnessing the fury and hopelessness in his eyes as he fought Natsu exactly as Invel had planned, knowing that it was because Gray thought he had lost her and blamed himself for being unable to save her. She never blamed him for any of her own pain.

Deep in her heart, she knew she would never have become the woman she was without him building her up. Without all the trust and faith that he put in her, she was sure that one day the clouds may have returned no matter how happy Fairy Tail made her. Gray reminded her, even before he returned her feelings, that she was important and wanted in the guild. She was strong because of her love for him, and seeing herself as his source of strength was the most wonderful feeling in the world. He was, in a word, irreplaceable in her life.

 

~

 

Juvia slowly inhaled as she opened her eyes, the voices growing ever closer to her current position. What a fool she was, and she would not only pay dearly for it, but was sure that her friends would all blame themselves. She had not meant to get separated from them, but had occurred after a wizard belonging to the dark guild that they were assigned to disband and arrest used earth magic and split the ground where the group had been standing together. She remembered how Gray had called for her and reached out his hand, how Gajeel had then done the same but neither were successful in preventing Juvia from falling.

But Juvia refused to be a hostage, a bargaining chip; something that the dark guild could wave in front of Team Natsu, Gajeel, and Levy and force their surrender. Juvia refused to be the reason any of her friends had to get hurt. Technically she wasn’t breaking any of her promises to her darling Gray either; she wasn’t sacrificing herself  _just_  to save him. She was doing so to save all of them, including herself. A small smile crept onto her face. She didn’t think she could face herself if she didn’t put up a hell of a fight against these pathetic wizards.

“There she is!”

At the exclamation, Juvia whipped her body around, using the extra momentum to add more strength to her Water Cane spell, striking at least three of the enemies and stunning the rest. Her smile grew wider. The more she could incapacitate, the better it would be for her friends.

“Water Slicer!” The intensified blades of water pressure swarmed and overwhelmed her enemies, but Juvia did not let up. She stepped forward even, from the corner of the dungeon she had been backed against.

“Now! Wings of Love!” Holding her hands out in the shape of a heart, a magical circle appeared before her and sending a rushing whirlpool toward the remaining enemies. Those that had finally gathered their bearings tried to ambush her, but Juvia was ready and she attacked once more with the torrented slashes of her Water Claw spell. Neither did she notice as a young dark-haired man ran toward the sounds of her battle. There was an ice spell already half casted at the ready to rescue her, but he stopped dead when he realized the water mistress needed no rescuing and was annihilating the enemy dark wizards with ease.

“Water Cyclone!” With another swift attack sent at the oncoming enemies, they were ill prepared for Juvia to suddenly imprison them in many Water Lock spells. Juvia felt her shoulders start to sag, though her spirits were high. Yes, she had done much to help her friends, and that was all she could hope for. But using so many powerful spells in such rapid succession had drained her like a faucet, and when she finally dropped the watery prisons, she saw only for a moment that she had defeated every wizard that had initially been pursuing her before slumping down to the ground in defeat. A moment to rest was all she needed, and then she might be able to fight the next wave-

“You bitch!” Was yelled at her, and she turned her head in time to watch as a man with his hand turned to rock leaped at her. Juvia took a sharp breath, feeling she did not even have enough strength to hold her Water Body. Her only reservation would be that she was making him relive exactly what had happened when he faced Invel, back when they fought the Alvarez Empire.  _Gray, everyone, I’m so sor_ -

“Ice Make: Geyser!”

When a huge outcropping of ice appeared and sent the man attacking her skyward in a pillar, all she could do was blink in surprise. She looked to the other side toward the footsteps running toward her, and found it was indeed her beloved who came to her rescue at the last moment.

“Juvia!” His exclaimed with a voice full of relief, dropping to his knees beside her and wrapping her up in his arms tightly. Still a bit stunned by his sudden arrival, it took her a moment before she hugged him back.

“How… where…” she spoke breathlessly, her speechless words were upturned just slightly to indicate a question.

“Gajeel was with me when I came looking for you, but we got cornered. He pointed me in the direction that he smelled you, and stayed back to fight them,” he smirked a little wider as he got to his feet, before offering her a hand to help her do the same. “And then I heard you completely  _dominating_  these losers. But now, come on, I’m sure the rest of the team is struggling without us there to back them up. I’m thinking we show them all up with a little combined magic.”

Juvia took his hand, and he pulled her up effortlessly. “I will certainly try. But I used so much magic just now.”

“I know. You were incredible, and I hate to ask for anything more of you,” Gray kept her hand in his as he pulled her back toward where he’d left Gajeel. “But there’s no one in the world that I can do a Unison Raid with, nor would I want to. No one could replace you, Juvia.”

_Irreplaceable… the way he built her up, and the way she had become a source of strength for him. Neither party could be whole without the other._


	6. Day 6 - Nightmares: "Fly"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This one is my personal favorite of the seven prompts. 
> 
> Also contains lyrics that I wrote to Opening 11 of the anime, so that I could sing English lyrics while walking around in public.

That night, Gray Fullbuster dreamt of losing it all.

The shadow that fell over him was beyond recognizable in his eyes. It was the source of all his heartbreak, of rage and fear and panic and worry. But the beast was also where his story began; why he learned magic, how he joined Fairy Tail, and how he got his brother and rival back into his life. This demon had ruined his life over and over, but it had also made him the wizard that he was.

Deliora towered above him, but its gaze shifted directly down toward him. He sensed it; the demon knew what he was, the power that he possessed. It knew that Gray had been gifted with the ability to slay the creatures of Zeref’s craft.

“So you’ve become the Ice Demon slayer?” The voice rumbled from above him. “That’s not really fair for me anymore, is it Gray Fullbuster?”

“Demons don’t really play fair themselves, anyway,” he retorted, winding back his hands to cast as the tattoo on his arm expanded once more to cover half of his body, releasing all of his magical power. “Ice Make: Cold Excalibur!”

With the large, ornate sword clutched in both his hands, he propelled himself into the air by quickly casting Ice Geyser. As he was about to bring the sword down on the demon, however, Gray suddenly became hyper aware of something being extremely wrong. Someone he knew was nearby, and he saw Deliora’s gaze shift as well. When he looked, his heart shattered.

Juvia stood outside one of the unrecognizable buildings that surrounded his dreamy fight with the demon, eyes wide. Against her shoulder was a clump of blankets, and Gray knew she was not alone.

“Juvia, go! Get out of here!” He yelled at her, but she did not move. And because he had gotten distracted, Deliora slammed his fist into the tower of ice that Gray had been standing on, destroying it and sending him into a free fall.

As he finally caught himself before smashing into the ground on another ice platform, he looked up just in time to watch a burning white beam explode from Deliora’s mouth, consuming Juvia and the baby that she held in its girth. There was no sound in the nightmare after that, even when Gray felt his throat tear from the volume of his yell for her.

 

~

 

“Juvia!” He exclaimed in agony again as he sat up in his bed, panting and covered in sweat. His heart was pounding, fear pulsing adrenaline through his blood. No, he was fine, she was safe, they were in Magnolia, and Deliora was still dead. The nightmare meant nothing.

Until he turned to reach for her and found the bed empty aside from himself.

“Juvia?” He rubbed his eyes, as if believing his state of panic and sudden consciousness had erased her, and only her from his vision. His hand touched not an invisible body, but the bed where she had gone to sleep beside him.

He wasn’t exactly sure what his erratic state thought happened to her, but Gray suddenly rushed out of the bed and seized his white coat from where he had deposited it and the rest of his clothes the evening before. Where was she? Was she hurt? What was the fastest way he could wake Natsu up at this time-

_“Fly on into the endless sky, toward the heavenly shining light.”_

He immediately froze at the soft tune drifting through the house toward him. It was a voice he knew all too well.

_“I swear there’s nothing for you to fear, because I’ll always be right here.”_

Frankly, Gray was somewhat surprised that he could pick up the words - Did demon slayers have enhanced senses too? No, it was probably just his panic and adrenaline heightening him - because Juvia was singing so slowly and so quietly. It occurred to him that she was probably doing so to avoid waking him where she thought he was still across the house, asleep in their bed. Her singing calmed him down almost immediately, and Gray chuckled cynically at himself for overreacting and immediately thinking something had happened to her. That was so like him. And her getting out of bed to be with the baby was so like her.  _Of course_ she was with their son. Safe and sound in the middle of the night in the tiny apartment they shared, sitting in their baby’s room.

If Gray thought he had been the most important person in Juvia’s life, then little 5-month-old Storm Fullbuster was her whole world. He had to say he was a little jealous when he saw how much she loved the infant, wondering why the hell she’d never given him nearly as much of her love. But that was one of the most fascinating things about her - just how much love she had to give and how surprised she was when anyone, not just him, returned it.

Gray followed the sound of her voice to the room it originated from. Quietly, he opened the door and was unsurprisingly taken by the scene before him. Juvia sat in the chair in the corner of the room, her azure hair messy from restless sleep until even the softness noise in the house would have woken her up and sent her rushing to their son’s nursery. She cradled Storm in her arms, the baby wrapped in the snowflake blanket that Mirajane and Lisanna had gifted them when he was born. Their son was asleep, ever relaxed by the sound of his mother’s voice. And Juvia’s attention was completely on Storm, a sweet and loving expression worn on her face as she sung to the sleeping baby. Gray stood against the doorframe for a moment, listening to her gentle song.

 

_Like a dragon with a mighty roar_

_We’ll take flight and leave the dark behind_

_Never hesitating to protect the ones we love_

_When you feel the wind hit your back_

_As your troubles begin to fade_

_That’s when you’ll really know_

_We found the way_

 

_Spread your wings out into the endless sky_

_Feel the sunlight warm your skin_

_You are free of your cage now forever more_

_Don’t worry about finding answers_

_They’ll come along dancing on feathers_

_As we fly away_

_Now soar_

 

No longer did the events of Gray’s nightmare bother him, for he was so distracted by the sight of his fiancée and son that any fear he was still holding on to disappeared in the night in that moment. When he was sure Juvia had finished singing, at least for a moment, Gray made his presence known by crossing the room and placing a hand on Juvia’s bare shoulder. He leaned down and pressed a kiss to the soft hair behind her ear.

“You need sleep too, you know,” he mumbled to her.

Juvia turned and blinked dark blue eyes up at him, appearing completely wide awake despite the time. She also looked quiet surprised to see him. “What are you doing up? Did I wake you? I was trying to be quiet.”

“No, but I should’ve woken up when you got out of bed,” he silently cursed his damn dream, knowing that was the reason. “You take care of Storm pretty well by yourself, but I need to take care of you.”

She shook her head, looking back down at the baby in her arms who had started stirring not long after his mother stopped singing and his parents began speaking to each other in hushed voices. “Not yet, at least. I am not tired, and I just want to hold my baby a little longer.”

Gray smirked a little more at the glittering in her eyes, leaning over and kissing her cheek. “Well I’m pretty wide awake now too, so I guess we can have a little family time.” At 2 in the morning… ah, well, more odd things had occurred in his life than that.

She looked up in surprise at him once more, concern suddenly appearing on her face. Gray inwardly swore. This girl could pick up on anything in him, even when he wasn’t thinking about it anymore.

“Are you all right, my darling?” She asked.

“You already know what it is,” he mumbled again as he pulled up and sat next to her on the stool, setting his arms against his lap. After all, his nightmares were frequent. Normally he would wake up and immediately pull her closer to him. “So I think being with you and Storm for a little bit right now is exactly what I need.”

Juvia giggled softly. “All right, but I am not giving up holding him. You will have to wait until tomorrow.”

He snorted in response. “Yeah, I know how you are. Just remember to let go of Storm when we get married, ya know?”

Juvia leaned over and kissed him this time, causing a light pink to come to Gray’s cheeks for _God-knows-why_. She just had that sort of effect on him.

“I know.”

_Like the words of her lullaby, he knew he needed to let himself let go. It was moments like these that reminded him of Ur’s sacrifice. What his mentor had done so that both he and Lyon could have happy futures unburdened by their pasts. And that future was here with Juvia, and continued on of watching his son grow up from alongside her._


	7. Day 7 - You're Mine: "Nevermelt"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> If you're still reading these, thanks! Lol  
> This one's cheesy, but every proposal fic is at least a little cheesy... so here's my attempt at it.

 Juvia had picked up the habit of snoring ever since her pregnancy began to show. And it wasn’t just soft, breathy sounds, but loud and drooly snoring that Gray found more often than not would end up right next to his ear. He spent many sleepless nights in bed with her, so tired that he’d nap in the guild hall the next day and Natsu would always be able to get the jump on him.

  But it was during one of those nights that Gray realized he honestly didn’t care about the snoring, or the weird cravings for food that she’d demand from him and from Mira, Lisanna, and Kinana up at the guild, or her wild mood swings that dwarfed all her ‘Love Rival’ crap from years ago. No, none of that really matter to him in the end as he leaned on his side in the bed and watched her sleep. All that mattered was her, and the baby she was carrying. Juvia was so excited to be a mother, he could see she was holding herself back from how much she wanted to talk about it. Bisca and Levy were the only ones currently in the guild who could relate to her, though he had noticed a few select ladies subtly inserting themselves into the conversations between the two mothers and mother-to-be.

  She was the definition of pregnancy glow. Even in her sleep, her pale skin was more luminescent than the light of the moon through their window. Gray had known for a long time that he loved her, had cemented that fact the moment that he had thought he had lost her. Those feelings that caused him to brutalize Invel, and drive him to fight to kill Natsu, that was more painful than any person he had lost before her. He loved her, and he was nervous but just as excited to be a father too.  _A father to the child that she was mothering_. 

  God, he was turning into a lovesick fool!

  Gray reached over and brushed his fingers through her soft azure hair, just gently as he was careful not to wake her. He paled a bit at the thought of making such a grave mistake. Yes, Juvia had him completely at her mercy, he would be the first to admit it. He treated her like a god damn princess, because she deserved it. After everything they had been through, there was nothing more he wanted to do than give her everything.

  Everything. That word sent a sudden chill across his skin, and he was an ice mage so he didn’t get chills easily. What was he waiting for? He loved her. They were having a baby. Gray couldn’t imagine his life without her. And he wanted nothing more than to make sure everyone damn well knew it. He silently cursed himself for being such an idiot before. He had his new resolve, he knew what he needed to do now.

  Gray leaned forward and pressed his lips to her temple. Even in her sleep, Juvia smiled and snuggled a little closer to his bare chest. With a little grin himself, he snaked his icy fingers to the hem of the light dress she was wearing and slipped them under, resting his hand on her hip.

  "You’re mine,“ he mumbled against her hair. "Tomorrow, I’m gonna get you a ring and make you mine.”

 

~

 

  The easy part had been getting Juvia out of town so he wouldn’t have to come up with an excuse for going somewhere without her; Gray took Juvia everywhere with him, because he never liked having her out of his sight and he only got worse when the couple found out they were having a baby together. He’d called Natsu and Lucy early in the morning when he was sure Lucy was at least awake and told her his plan. After the two had agreed to take Juvia on a job with them he’d also quickly growled that if anything happened to her he’d freeze Natsu into a ball and sink him into the ocean. Hastily, she assures him that Juvia would be fine, she had seen an easy gardening job on the board the day before and she’d take Natsu along as as “protective precaution”.

  Juvia had been ecstatic, something that had honestly surprised him. He had prohibited her from going on any solo missions, and absolutely none that included fighting or hunting. Was he being a little ridiculous? Maybe, but the baby was just not something he was willing to risk. But he had taken the brunt of their income for the time being, and while Gray was perfectly fine with doing so, Juvia hated being solitary. And because this job was paying so much and she could basically use her magic to become a human sprinkler, she was practically glowing once again as she, Natsu, Lucy, Wendy, Happy, and Carla boarded the train. Only after Juvia had grabbed his face and given him a big, passionate smooch, of course.

  "Goodbye my darling!“ She chirped happily, while she left him practically seeing stars. He recovered just in time to watch Juvia bounce away.

  "Remember, we’ll be back this evening,” Lucy reminded him, before grabbing Natsu’s arm as he dug his feet in about getting on the train. Wendy giggled knowingly and followed them.

  He watched as the train began to pull out before a huge hand landed on his shoulder. Gray turned to face the two wizards standing beside him. Levy had a huge grin on her face, while Gajeel, whose grip suddenly tightened on his shoulder, was scowling.

  "All right, lover boy,“ grumbled the Iron dragon slayer. "Let’s go get Juvia a ring. And for your sake, it better be a damn good one.  _I’m_ the one who’ll be walkin’ her down the aisle, you know?”

  "Right,“ he sighed a bit, glancing at the woman at Gajeel’s side. He sure was glad Levy was here, because Gajeel had never stopped giving him crap over his relationship with Juvia; how the two were married and already had children together he had no idea, but he knew Levy could keep Gajeel’s rougher and meaner sides from appearing too much. He’d asked Gajeel to come with him because he was close to Juvia after all. He was the closest thing she had to family, and he didn’t think he could live with not letting the other man know everything that was going on.

  "I’m so happy for you, Gray!” Levy smiled widely as they made their way into the first jewelry store. “You and Juvia compliment each other so well. And you, proposing to her?! She might just turn into a puddle on the spot.”

  "Tch, dunno what that’d do to the baby, though,“ Gajeel sneered. "Let’s look at these already.”

  Three stores and a few hours later though, the ice wizard was no where close to an idea of what he wanted to get Juvia, let alone having picked one. Defeated, Gray checked the time for the fiftieth time that day. They still had a good while until the other got back with Juvia, but he was feeling a little hopeless.

  "Maybe I need to give myself more time for this,“ he suggested. "I mean, this isn’t really something to rush, is it?”

  "Well that sure is true, yeah,“ Gajeel focused his crimson gaze on Gray. "Took me at least a couple weeks to pick out a ring for the Shrimp. But you were the one who said you wanted to propose to Juvia  _today_.”

  "What is it about those rings that you didn’t like?“ Levy asked kindly.

  Gray shrugged a little and habitually stuffed his hands into his pockets, to ensure he hadn’t stripped them off. He was feeling himself get stressed, and when he got stressed he got hot, and when he got hot well… all of Fairy Tail knew pretty well what happened then.

  "Guess it’s just all about how guilty I feel,” he admitted. “I mean, damn it, Juvia says she’s loved me since the moment we met. We were fighting each other when we first met! So I made her wait so long, I sent her so many mixed signals… I didn’t have the balls to admit to myself that I did have feelings for her until after I thought I’d lost her. I just want… something extra special. All these rings we’ve looked at today are nice but, I think I want to give Juvia something that only she will have.”

  "Well that’s fair enough,“ Levy looked up to Gajeel with a smirk as she crossed her arms. "That’s certainly impressive, don’t you think?”

  "Yeah, yeah, I’m just glad ye finally came around stripper,“ he nodded indignantly. "And ye wanna make up for all the shit you put her through. I get that. I had a lot I wanted to make up for to Levy, too.”

  He blew out a breath. “Thanks, Gajeel. I know you still feel sort of conflicted about my relationship with her. It means a lot that you get how I feel.”

  "Eh, don’t think this means I won’t hesitate to smash your face in if you hurt her,“ Gajeel opened one eye and glared at him. Then his smile widened. "Or that I’ll go easy on you in a guild brawl,  _Gihi_.”

  Gray looked back to Levy. “So, I guess we’re done for today. I’ll just have to get Natsu and Lucy to distract Juvia another day.”

  The script mage tapped her chin. “Actually, I’ve been thinking about something I noticed in the guild’s library the other day. There’s books on nearly all magic types in there - and I have a section of them dedicated especially to the magic of those in the hall. There’s a whole shelf just on the different dragon slayer magic, and so much on Lucy’s celestial magic, and all sort of elemental-”

  "Levy,“ Gray interrupted. "Please don’t leave reality just yet. What did you see? What does it have to do with me?”

  She turned a unique shade of red in embarrassment. “Oh, sorry! Right um…” she paused for a moment. “There was a book about different kinds of ice that ice wizards can learn to use. You know the basic - thin ice, how to make their ice thicker, colder, even ways you can learn to use snow as well - but there was something that caught my interest. The spell is called Nevermelt.”

  He frowned at her. “So it’s supposed to be ice that never melts?”

  "Wooowwww, someone give this man a prize.“

  "Gajeel,” Levy scolded before turning back to Gray. “Yeah, that’s exactly it! We can head back to the guild and I’ll get the book for you. Maybe you can learn the spell before they return… you have such a high mastery of ice spells, especially combined with your Ice devil slayer magic. It’s supposed to be really difficult magic to use, because from what I remember it uses the caster’s magic core to never melt. That’s why they recommend only using it to craft small objects, or only in dire situations. Almost like cutting a little piece out of your reserves, that you’ll never get to use again. At the very least, it’s interesting. Certainly poetic. I think it’s something worth considering. A ring wouldn’t take that much energy.”

  Gray considered the information she had given him. Poetic was almost an understatement. They say that marriage was like giving up half of yourself to the other person. With a ring like that, he would literally be giving Juvia a part of him. And it was definitely unique, a ring made of ice. Ice and water once again… in reality there really was no choice. He wanted something that would mean the most to Juvia.

  "Levy,“ he looked directly at the solid script mage. "Take me to the book.”

 

~

 

  His hands were getting clammy as he waited for the group to return. Not only was Gray nervous about the whole thing, about proposing to Juvia, but he was also worried about her safety. It was so stupid, he reminded himself, she was with Lucy and Natsu and Wendy. Natsu might be obnoxious and destructive, but Gray had to give him credit for how powerful he was and how loyal and protective he was for members of their guild. There was no way Natsu would let anything happen to Juvia either.

  "Are you even going to try to keep your clothes on?“ Levy whispered to him.

  Gray looked down, fearing the worst, and was relieved to notice he’d only ditched his shirt so far. He chuckled a bit, nerves blatantly obvious in his cynical tone. "Not at all. Let’s just hope I keep my underwear on during the proposal.”

  "You better,“ Gajeel growled in response.

  Levy just giggled at the two of them as the doors to the guild swung open. Gray felt himself get even more nervous at the sight of pink, blonde, dark navy blue, and azure hair entered the guild followed by the two Exceeds.

  "All right! Home sweet home!” Natsu bellowed. “Mira, whip me up some food, will ya? I’m starvin’!”

  The eldest Strauss giggled. “Of course. The usual for you Lucy?”

  "You know it. I’m exhausted. Juvia and Wendy did all the work while I just made sure Natsu didn’t burn down the whole garden.“

  "You put me on guard duty, what else were you expecting?!”

  As the two bickered, Gray rolled his eyes. Unbelievable. He wasn’t sure how they worked together; but he was happy they did. He clenched his fist as Juvia walked over to the table where she spotted him and Gajeel.

  "Showtime, stripper,“ the other man mumbled, handing Gray his shirt back from  _God-knows-where_  he dropped it. He figured that at least starting clothed was probably a good idea and tugged it back on as Gajeel walked away.

  "I had a wonderful time with Natsu, Lucy, Wendy, Happy, and Carla today,” she said, beaming as she made a move to sit down. “Although it would have been better if you, my love had been there with us!”

  Gray forced a grin, hoping it wasn’t too obvious. But Juvia knew him too well, he was sure she would notice. “Yeah well, I had a reason. Actually, you mind if we head home? I have something to show you.”

  She groaned. “Ooh, but I wanted to sit and talk with Levy for a bit! Mostly to rest my feet.”

  "I’ll rub your feet when we get home.“ He reached over and took her hand.

  Juvia brightened up instantly. "Deal!”

  Gray only got more nervous though as he led Juvia toward their apartment, though his true destination was the center plaza of Magnolia, where all the canals met. Surrounded by water, he figured it was the best place to propose aside from the Fairy Tail guild hall itself; and there was no way he could propose to Juvia with all his guildmates around. They could find out tomorrow, after his nerves had settled.

  "Gray?“ Juvia’s confused voice snapped him out of his thoughts. "What are we doing in the plaza?”

  He took a deep breath. This was it.

  "Juvia, I’m ready terrible at expressing my feelings for you. I’m so lucky to have someone like you in my life, at my side, and willing to be patient with me. Sometimes I’m pretty sure i don’t deserve you. But god, I can’t wait to be a father, to a child that I had with you.“

  Gray threw his enclosed fist on top of his outstretched palm in his usual two-handed maker magic form. She watched him with interested eyes as his hands made more complex gestures than she had seen him use before. He could see her shiver as frost began to surround his knuckles, magic that felt colder, and very different from his own.

  "Ice Make: Nevermelt,” with the words of the spell spoken, Gray felt a small object form within his palm. He couldn’t help but grin at the successful magic, and held out his hands to her as he opened them. The sharp gasp that came from Juvia’s mouth was the confidence boost that he needed to keep talking.

  "Juvia Lockser, will you be mine? Will you marry me?“ He asked very quietly, already losing his nerve somewhat at the strangers around them giggling and mumbling their curiosity.

  "Oh Gray…” she covered her mouth with her hands, trying to catch her breath. After what felt like forever, she reached forward and took the ring from his hand. “As if you even had to ask me…!”

  Despite being made of ice, the ring sparkles as though its entire construction was made of diamond or crystal. The handiwork on it was something that Gray had worked on all day with Gajeel and Levy, molded with regular ice. He would only get one shot with the Nevermelt spell, because of how it expended his magical energy. But oh, how it was worth it. Juvia was charmed, he could see it in her eyes and it was the most satisfying thing in the world to him.

  He reached over and took her shaking hands, helping guide the ring onto her finger before pulling her close and planting a kiss on her lips. Around, he vaguely heard applause and cheers for the couple, but that hardly mattered to Gray. Words pounded in his ear to the rhythm of his heartbeat.  _Juvia is mine, she said yes… Juvia is mine, she said yes…_

  "'Bout time ice princess, don’t ya think?“

  "Natsu! Shut up!”

  Gray stiffened and pulled away from Juvia at the sound of familiar voices. He looked down to see if she had noticed, but Juvia was too busy admiring the ring, and looking as though she were going to faint. He wrapped an arm around her waist to steady her and came face to face with Natsu, Lucy, Wendy, Mira, Elfman, Cana… too many members of the guild to witness. At the front of them stood Gajeel and Levy. Figures they would spill his plans.

  "What the hell? Do you guys mind?“ He groaned.

  "Awww little Gray’s getting embarrassed everybody!” Cana hiccuped.

  As their guild members continued to tease the two of them, Gray snorted and scooped Juvia up into his arms. “We’re going home… and we’re locking all the doors.”

  "Gray my love, you lost your shirt again!“ She giggled.

  "I’ll worry about that later. I promised you a foot rub,” a smirk suddenly appeared on his face. “And anything else I might feel like doing now that you’re mine.”


End file.
